Tribunal quashes forest official’s transfer

A forest official from Udupi has succeeded in retaining her posting. The Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal here has restored the officer, Sandhya Sachin, to her post as Range Forest Officer (RFO) of the Udupi Forest Mobile squad with immediate effect.

According to the tribunal it was noted that the reference letter attached with the file concerning the transfer order indeed belonged to MLA Harish Poonja. Sandhya Sachin was recently transferred to Bidar by the state government at the behest of MLA Harish Poonja after her confrontation with a group of timber transporters alleged to be close to the legislator. There was a huge protest against her transfer.

Later Sandhya Sachin questioned the decision in the tribunal on the grounds that the transfer was unlawful and was ordered to satisfy the whims of the MLA. But the government in its defence had stated that it was a routine transfer executed at the end of her term in the Udupi squad.

The tribunal led by Justice Budihal R B recently quashed the defending government’s transfer order observing that it was a “mala fide and vitiated by mala fide political interference in the matter of transfer of government servants which is untenable under the transfer guidelines.”

It is also ordered that official Sandhya sachin be reinstated to her earlier post as the RFO of Udupi Forest Mobile squad, with immediate effect. The tribunal has also directed the government to strictly adhere to the transfer guidelines while passing the order.